Pamela Anderson is no stranger to turning heads, but at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, it wasn’t a bold red lip or a dramatic smoky eye that had people talking — it was her natural beauty.
The former Baywatch star, once hailed as an international sex symbol, seems to have fully embraced a ”makeup-free” lifestyle, making waves in an industry where glamor is the unspoken rule.
Appeared bare-faced
Dressed in a stunning black Oscar de la Renta gown with matching opera gloves, the 57-year-old actress walked the red carpet with effortless confidence.
Yet, it wasn’t just her elegant look that sparked conversation — it was the fact that she once again chose to forgo heavy makeup. Anderson’s decision to embrace a minimal-beauty approach has led to both admiration and debate.
“She’s definitely cheating on the makeup spectrum,” one social media user remarked, pointing out that while Pamela appeared bare-faced, subtle enhancements were still visible.
“The thing is, she is wearing minimal makeup and not makeup-free,” another person noted. “You can see she has a light foundation, thin eyebrow pencil (or coloring), and lip gloss. Filling in those ‘70s brows and wearing a little mascara would make all the difference, but it’s just my opinion.”
Despite the mixed reactions, some Pamela’s fans were quick to celebrate her look and her Golden Globe nomination for The Last Showgirl.
The real reason she’s ditching makeup
The Gia Coppola-directed indie film, in which she plays a seasoned Las Vegas showgirl facing an uncertain future, earned Anderson her first-ever nomination in the Best Actress in a Drama category.
“I’m loving your Renaissance! You are an inspiration to every woman!” one fan gushed.
“Growing old gracefully. More beautiful than ever,” another admirer praised.
“You were the main reason I watched the show. I wanted so much for you to win! But you are the winner as far as I’m concerned. I loved you in the film,” a separate fan added.
Anderson’s journey toward a more natural look didn’t start on the red carpet — it began as a personal decision to reconnect with herself. In a candid interview with Drew Barrymore last October, the one-time “Baywatch” star reflected on her transformation.
“I wanted to remember who I was. I found I played characters my whole life. I was painfully shy as a kid; even doing Playboy, for instance, was a huge leap of faith for me. I was physically sick doing it, but I didn’t want to be shy anymore,” Anderson revealed. “I just thought, ‘Well, this is what my fantasy of a model is, or a Playmate is, or a rock star’s wife is. I’m going to do it the best,’ and I’ve been playing these characters along the way. It just hit me a couple of years ago, and I was just shaking my head, going, ‘Who am I?’”
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Focus on a more minimalistic look
One of her first public steps toward a makeup-free look came at Paris Fashion Week in 2023 when she attended the Isabel Marant Spring/Summer collection presentation with a fresh face. At the time, she admitted she didn’t think people would even notice the change — but they did.
The Canadian-born model certainly did enough to catch the eye of the internet. No sooner had pictures from the event surface than did people weigh-in on her fabulous, raw look.
“Now this is pamela anderson without makeup at 56 looking gorgeous for vivienne westwood,” one Twitter user wrote of Anderson’s recent outings.
“Pamela anderson going makeup free lately i’m obsessed,” another added.
Of course, this isn’t the first time Anderson has elected to present herself in public without the glitz-and-glam veneer of one who has flawless paparrazzi photos in mind.
“I just started taking it all back, and then started peeking out without makeup, and then I started realizing, ‘Oh, I feel great as me; I don’t want people to think of me as all those cartoon characters I created for protection.’”
Today, it’s obvious that Pamela Anderson no longer wanted to hide behind a face full of makeup or cosmetic procedures. While Anderson has been focused on a more minimalistic look, she’s noticed others were “doing big makeup looks,” but that doesn’t matter to her.
”I’m kind of laughing at myself…”
Her decision may not be earth-shattering, but it has certainly struck a chord in an industry where the pressure to look perpetually youthful is immense.
At a time when countless celebrities spend fortunes on beauty treatments and enhancements, Pamela Anderson’s choice to embrace her natural self is both refreshing and bold.
“It’s just like me to go against the grain and do the opposite of what everyone’s doing,” she told Ellle.
“I think we all start looking a little funny when we get older,” she said. “And I’m kind of laughing at myself when I look at the mirror. I go, ‘Wow, this is really…what’s happening to me?’ It’s a journey.”
And if the reaction to her Golden Globes appearance is any indication, it’s clear that her beauty — makeup or not — continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
